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"SPEAK YOUR MIND AND RIDE A FAST HORSE"

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Ready to FLY!

In 23 hours I will finally be boarding the plane for my month long visit to Terri & The kids! Yay! I'm nervous about the trip and how well I'll fair, but I did suck it up and made arrangements for a wheelchair to get me from the plane to my next gate and each segment of my flight.

As for my need for a wheelchair, I'll update you on my recent medical issues. My back surgeon finally sent me for X-Rays and finally looked at them and deemed my spinal fusion a total success. All had healed completely and properly and he doesn't feel that my leg pain/issues are connected to my back surgery at all. He has forwarded me to an Orthopedic specialist. Of course, the back surgeon's office screwed around for so long that I can't see the new DR until I get back from Alaska. So walking will continue to be a major issue for my entire visit, but we will all deal with it! AND! My GP, bless his heart, gave me some Vicodin to make the trip a little easier.

And so, I start all over with a new set of issues to deal with. sigh.....I swear that someone (or several someones) out there has a voodoo doll with my name on it and is busy sticking pins in it!!

I do still have some back pain but it all blends in with the leg issues and I often find myself wondering WTF I even had the surgery for to begin with! My GP feels that I had what is referred to as a "Failed Fusion" and that the surgeon (of course) wants me to think that his work was no less than perfect. We shall see, I guess. If the Orthopedic guy can't help me. or thinks I need more surgery, I will put that off as long as possible by going the Pain Management route. All speculation, at this point. I'll have to wait and see what June brings.

On top of all of that, my Cobra insurance ends July 31st and my Medicare won't start until the following March so in all reality, it may be another year before I can really accomplish much of anything. Lovely....just f&%$ing lovely!

Around here it has been raining for 40 days and 40 nights with much flooding of the area. Roads washed out, gigantic hail storms, tornados zipping around our heads, touching down NEAR us, but luckily not too close. And so, I shall leave the mess in Arkansas and go to 'break up' in Alaska, where there is much mud, many pot holes and melting of snow, layer by layer. The awakening of Spring in the Great Land is really lovely to behold. In a couple of weeks, it will be beautiful beyond measure.
But for me, the faces I see tomorrow afternoon will REALLY be what is beautiful beyond measure!!

I will sink into that welcoming home, full of love and comfort and enjoy and absorb every snippet of it! And there will be much celebrating while I am there! My birthday, Mother's Day, Terri's birthday and Riley's graduation!!! So much fun to be had! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Fusion Anniversary

Well, Wednesday was the 1 year anniversary of my spinal fusion surgery. I went Thursday for my X-Rays and will see the DR next week. I spoke with his nurse Tuesday about some issues I've been having and they are of some concern, so I need to be checked out. I actually thought he needed to see me at then end of a year anyway, but she told me that he had 'released' me because my healing was so well progressed on my 6 month X-rays. I think I missed that, but I'm glad I called because my legs are giving me trouble that can, apparently, occur when a 3 or 4 level fusion is done. {Mine was a 4 level}

So anyway, I still have trouble walking. As a rule, on a daily basis, it just starts bothering me when I walk too far {which isn't far at all} or stand too long. My legs get achy and just don't want to 'go' and my lower back starts getting achy. Some days I can get a lot accomplished, other days, I just can't do it.

Personally, from my research, I have an idea it might be nerve damage. I'll just have to wait and see what he says next week and go from there. I have to learn to accept my limitations and make the best of what ever cards I've been dealt! But I'm not done looking for help, either.

Something just caught my eye, out of my front window, and I got looking and realized that it was my neighbors 2 cats running across the roof of their trailer house. How funny! I know how it sounds to have a squirrel playing around on the roof of our motorhome, so I can imagine the noise 2 big old cats make on their roof!

Gads. I've been blogging so irregularly and yet my head is always full of little tid bits I wanna blog about. I really should make notes, cuz I open up a page to write a new post and they all escape me. Doh! I wish I could be like our dear Poolie and have something fun and interesting to write about everyday.

I have been trying to remember to take my Nikon with me and get some pictures of various "Spring Things" around here, so I'll share some baby cows from down the road with you. They're so cute (and clean-lol)

Baby Cows
A couple of babies.

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Baby Cows
"Hey, Lady. Whatcha doin'?"

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Baby Cows
"OMG! RUN!! She's got a camera!!!!!"